Hemerocallis plant named ‘VER00323’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Hemerocallis  named ‘VER00323’ that is characterized by its flowers that are salmon orange in color with a yellow-green throats, its everblooming habit; blooming from June to October in The Netherlands, its dormant plant habit, and its early commencement of bloom in the season.

Botanical classification: Hemerocallis hybrid.

Cultivar designation: ‘VER00323’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofHemerocallis plant of hybrid origin, botanically known as Hemerocallis‘VER00323’ and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name,‘VER00323’.

The new cultivar was developed through an on-going breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. The objectivesof the breeding program are to develop new cultivars of Hemerocallisthat are everblooming with compact plant habits in a range of flowercolors.

The new cultivar arose from crosses made in summer of 2006. Proprietaryseed parent lines were pollinated with a mixture of pollen collectedfrom proprietary pollen parents and the collected seeds were pooled andsown for evaluation. ‘VER00323’ was selected as a single unique plantfrom the resulting seedlings in summer of 2009. The specific parents areunknown and none of the possible parent plants are named or patented.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished bydivision in Noordwijk, The Netherlands in 2009 by the Inventor. Asexualpropagation by division and tissue culture has determined that thecharacteristics of this cultivar are stable and are reproduced true totype in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of ‘VER00323’. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘VER00323’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Hemerocallis.

-   -   1. ‘VER00323’ exhibits flowers that are salmon orange in color        with yellow-green throats.    -   2. ‘VER00323’ exhibits an everblooming habit; blooming from June        to October in The Netherlands.    -   3. ‘VER00323’ exhibits a dormant plant habit.    -   4. ‘VER00323’ commences bloom early in the season.

The new cultivar can be most closely compared to the Hemerocalliscultivars ‘VER00213’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,605) and Hemerocallis‘VER00204’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,606). ‘VER00213’ is similar to‘VER00323’ in having a two-toned flower color, in having a light coloredmidrib on the petals, in having a dormant plant habit and an extendedflowering period. ‘VER00213’ differs from ‘VER00323’ in having a shorterplant habit and in having a trumpet shaped flower that opens less withtepals that are not curved backwards. ‘VER00204’ is similar to‘VER00323’ in having a two-toned flower color, in having a light coloredmidrib on the petals, in having a dormant plant habit and an extendedflowering period. ‘VER00204’ differs from ‘VER00323’ in commencing bloomearlier in the season, in having larger flowers that are larger and moreorange in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Hemerocallis. The photographswere taken of a 5 month-old plant of the new cultivar as field grown inNoordwijk, The Netherlands and place in a container for the photographs.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of ‘VER00323’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of a flower of‘VER00323’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the foliage of‘VER00323’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the digitalphotography and printing techniques utilized and the color codes in thedetailed botanical description accurately describe the new Hemerocallis.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of 5 month-old plants of the newcultivar as field grown in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands. Thephenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental,climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under allpossible environmental conditions. The color determination is inaccordance with The 2015 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal HorticulturalSociety, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinarydictionary significance are used.

-   General characteristics:    -   -   Blooming period.—June to October in The Netherlands.        -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Plant habit.—Upright with flowers held above the foliage,            dormant type.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches about 40 cm in height and 50 cm            in spread (2 year-old plant in the landscape).        -   Hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zone 5.        -   Diseases.—No particular susceptibility or resistance has            been observed.        -   Root description.—Fleshy with fibrous secondary roots.        -   Propagation.—Division and tissue culture.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate, 4 months to fully root a single fan            division in a 18-cm container and 8 months to produce a No.            1 division in the field from a single fan.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Linear, moderately carinate and curved.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Decurrent.        -   Leaf apex.—Long acuminate with a short apiculate outer tip.        -   Leaf venation.—Parallel, color upper surface; 137B, color            lower surface; 143A.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire, very slightly undulate.        -   Leaf attachment.—Decurrent, no petioles.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Basal rosette.        -   Leaf orientation.—Held upright to slightly pendulant.        -   Leaf surface.—Both surfaces glabrous, upper surface slightly            glossy, lower surface matte.        -   Leaf color.—Young leaves upper surface; color between 143A,            young leaves lower surface; 143A, mature leaves upper            surface; 137B mature leaves lower surface; between 137B and            143A.        -   Leaf size.—Up to 42.6 cm in length, an average of 1.6 cm in            width.        -   Leaf quantity.—Average of 11 per rosette.-   Flower description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Scape bearing a panicle of single            flowers.        -   Inflorescence size.—Varies with opening of flowers, an            average of 11.3 cm in width and 12.3 cm in height.        -   Lastingness of flowers.—About 24 hours, self cleaning.        -   Flower size.—An average of 9 cm in depth and 10.2 cm in            diameter.        -   Flower fragrance.—None.        -   Flower shape.—Campanulate.        -   Flower number.—Average of 21.        -   Flower aspect.—Upright to outward.        -   Flower bud.—Oblanceolate in shape, average of 4.6 cm in            length and 1 cm in diameter, color N144A and 151A with apex            144A to 144B.        -   Rate of flower opening.—Approximately 10% of flowers open at            a time, average of 4 weeks for all flowers to open per            scape.        -   Flower attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Petals.—3, obovate in shape, average of 9.2 cm in length and            4.6 cm in width, both surfaces are glabrous and moderately            velvety, margins entire and slightly crinkled, apex retuse,            base fused (lower 24%), color of upper surface when opening            and fully open; 31C, base 1A and 2B, petal has a narrow            axial stripe 11C, tube N144D, color of lower surface when            opening and fully open; 14D, fading to 37C towards the            margin, base 2A, tube N144C.        -   Sepals.—3, rotate in arrangement, average of 6.1 cm in            length, 2.2 cm in width, oblanceolate in shape, entire            margins, base is cuneate and fused 25%, acute apex, color            upper surface young and mature; 16C, fading towards margins            22C and 24C, tube N144D, color lower surface young; 13A to            13B, base N144B, tube N144C, color lower surface mature; 13A            to 13B and tinged with N144B, base N144B, tube N144C.        -   Calyx.—Rotate in shape, average of 6.2 cm in length and 9.6            cm in diameter.        -   Peduncles.—Slightly angled in shape, glabrous surface,            average of 56.7 in length and 5 mm in diameter, average of            75° to soil level (=0°), strong, color 138A to 138B.        -   Pedicels.—Average of 3 mm in length and diameter, glabrous            surface, round in shape, strong, held at an average angle of            35° to the peduncle (=0°), color is 143C.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—Pistil; 1, average of 8.4 cm in length, style;            8.35 cm in length, 25D, 150D at the base in color, stigma;            crested, 11D in color, ovary; oblong in shape, 143C in            color.        -   Androecium.—Stamens; 6, anthers; dorsifixed and narrow            oblong in shape, 6 mm in length and 200A to 203A in color;            filament; 4.9 cm in length, 14C in color, pollen; abundant            in quantity and 17A in color.        -   Fruit/seeds.—None observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hemerocallis plantnamed ‘VER00323’ as herein illustrated and described.